


Get out

by Inkera



Series: Whumptober [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Day 1, Gen, Self-Harm, Whump, Whumptober 2020, dislocation, shackled
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26789767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkera/pseuds/Inkera
Summary: Whumptober Day 1 Prompt: ShackledImprisoned on Homeworld with Steven nowhere in sight, Pearl resorts to drastic measures.-Tumblr: inkera0
Series: Whumptober [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953496
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Get out

**Author's Note:**

> tw: joint dislocation, self harm
> 
> uh, obvious creative liberties with gem physiology

“Get up.”

Pearl is jostled to her feet by a large hand clasped around the chains binding her wrists. Her knees waver, strength sapped from the cuffs meant to neutralize her powers in transfer, but still she rips the chains free and straightens, attempting some semblance of control in this hopeless situation. “I can walk by myself.”

She’s rewarded with a swift backhand that nearly knocks her back off her feet. “Shut up!”

“Hey, leave her alone!” Amethyst struggles against her own chains connected to the wall. “Jerk!”

Pearl grits her teeth at the pain blossoming in her cheek.

“So the runt’s still got some spunk, huh?” Jasper sneers down at Amethyst. “If it were up to me, I’d have wiped you out of existence a long time ago. But apparently, Rose won’t give anything up if even one of her friends are hurt.”

 _Steven._ He’s still holding on for them, even while alone and scared and trapped on a strange world. Pearl wanted him to see Homeworld eventually, but not like this. Never like this.

Her eyes burn. That poor, sweet boy who cares too much for his own good. Surrounded by gems that want nothing more than to kill him for a crime he didn’t commit - a crime he hadn’t even _known_ about until the trial. There’s only so much he can say to hold them off before they execute him anyway, so they don’t have much time.

Pearl needs to act _now._

With Jasper focused on Amethyst, Pearl balls up the material sash hanging around her waist and stuffs it in her mouth. She can’t make a sound if she wants to pull this off.

Pearl grips her left thumb, clenches her teeth around the material in her mouth, inhaling a steadying breath through her nose.

This is going to hurt.

In a single fluid motion, she twists and _pulls_ until there’s a sickening pop, and although her mind is screaming and her hand is burning, all that releases from her mouth is a muffled grunt.

Pearl slides the cuff off one hand and grips the edge of the chain tight in the other, panting around the material, composing herself before spitting it out and calling, “Hey, Jasper.”

The large quartz turns, annoyed. “What now?”

Summoning every last drop of her remaining strength, Pearl whips the free cuff right at her face, where it lands smack dab on the middle of her gem. It pings against it before there’s a telltale sound of a cracked gem slowly splintering outward.

Jasper howls and grips her face. “Fu - You little-!” She glitches hard and drops to the floor, scrabbling at the floor with her claws.

Amethyst freezes in place, staring in horror. “You _cracked_ her.”

“No time!” Pearl digs through Jasper’s pockets for the key, awkwardly frees her right hand as quick as she can manage. Stumbling over to Amethyst, she frees her as well. It won’t be long before other gems notice they’re missing. There’s no time to feel the pain threatening to consume her, to process what she’d done to the quartz that would likely follow her the rest of her life. Steven is in _danger._ “We need to go!”

Amethyst eyes follow Jasper’s writhing form as they sprint down the hall. “What about Garnet?”

“The next block over. I heard the guards talking,” Pearl gasps out through the pain, thoughts racing through memories of guard shift changes, conversation exchanged a little too loudly. She stops at the third door on the right and slams her palm on the panel. “Right here!”

As the door slides shut behind them, neither of them hear Jasper’s form poof or the soft tinkling of shards upon tile.


End file.
